Friday, January 15, 2016

MINISTRY OF PRAYER

Therefore...pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16 (NAS)

When we moved from our quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of Bel Air to our present home in Joppa, we knew we would hear lots of noise from the traffic. We eventually grew used to the road noises. We saw emergency vehicles go past our house daily, sirens and horns blaring, lights flashing, on their way to the hospital or to the scene of a fire or accident.

After a recent heavy storm and a tornado touch-down just three miles from our house, we counted five fire engines and three ambulances go screaming by in fifteen minutes.

Watching the many emergency vehicles passing, a strong urge to pray for the unfortunate victims filled my heart. With each passing emergency vehicle I said a sincere prayer for the persons involved. The urge to pray for the safety of the first responders on their way to the scene of the accident or storm catastrophe kept pricking my mind. Who could better protect the drivers or victims than our savior, Jesus?

God's words in James tell us to pray for each other, not only for family and friends but for strangers also. It is a comforting feeling to think that someone may also be praying for us.

In this case, if we pray for one another every day, then heaven will be filled with prayers, asking God's protection and love. A blanket of prayer will cover the earth in just a short time. What a ministry of prayer to gladden the heart of our great God!

Father, hear our prayers for the brave ones who put themselves in harms way to help those in physical or mental despair. Amen.